SEO Agency or Freelancer: Evaluating Costs and Benefits

As you begin looking for resources to help your organization increase its SEO results, one of the first decisions you must make is who to hire for your team. Organizations must first decide if they want to hire an SEO agency or a freelancer. The answer to these questions is not clear-cut; the right path depends on many factors, especially business SEO needs and budget.

It’s important to recognize that this decision can largely impact your SEO success. The key is to make the right decision for your goals and then appropriately use the resources based on their strengths to meet those goals.

For example, if you hire an agency you cannot afford, you will likely abandon your efforts in a few short months and not see any SEO success. Yet if you hire a freelancer simply to save money and you have them work on projects that aren’t appropriate for their skills, you will also see lackluster results.

The first step is to understand the differences between an SEO agency and a freelancer (or contractor). By understanding the freelancer vs agency pros and cons, you can make the right decision for your company.

Working with an SEO agency

Many organizations automatically think of hiring an agency when considering SEO resources. An SEO agency is a company that employs a team of experts specializing in various aspects of SEO, such as technical SEO, content creation, and link building. Agencies vary widely in their cost, strengths, and SEO approaches.

Benefits of hiring an SEO agency

Here are common SEO agency benefits:

• Access to a diverse team: When you work with an agency, they bring to the table a team of SEO professionals with a wide range of expertise and experience. As your company moves through its journey and employs different on-page and off-page SEO approaches, agencies typically have a professional on their team with specialized expertise in the specific tactic. Additionally, a diverse team provides different perspectives, which can be exceptionally helpful in developing tactics. This means that as your needs change you do not need to hire additional resources, as the agency handles all staffing for your projects.
• Comprehensive SEO strategies: Many organizations start their SEO journey focusing on a specific area of SEO, such as keywords or influencer marketing. A full-service agency offers services that cover all aspects of optimization, from technical improvements to content creation and link building, meaning you don’t have to hire additional expertise as your strategies evolve. More importantly, this allows the agency to create an overall long-term SEO strategy that incorporates all aspects of SEO working together instead of approaching it from a piecemeal perspective based on areas of expertise.
• Scalability: Your organization’s needs on the day you sign with an agency are likely to be different than they will be in a few months or a few years down the road. Because an agency is able to handle larger projects and adapt to the growing needs of your business, they offer a level of scalability that’s not possible with an individual freelancer. Agencies have the flexibility to move their employees between projects as your needs change.
• Established processes and tools: Successful SEO agencies already have processes for project management, reporting, and communication. From the moment you sign on, they have a process for conducting an SEO audit as well as templates for regular reporting. Because they have fine-tuned these processes, they are more likely to provide you with the information you need along with a positive experience. Typically, this also means you can begin your project more quickly without ramping up time.

Agencies also have some downsides to consider when making your decision. Potential drawbacks of working with an SEO agency include:

• Cost: Generally, agencies are more expensive than hiring a freelancer. The added costs typically stem from higher overhead costs and the involvement of multiple specialists. According to Ahrefs, agencies charge 138% more than freelancers. Because there is a set fee structure across the organization and projects, agencies are less likely to negotiate on costs. Agencies also often charge additional fees, such as rush fees or technology fees.
• Longer-term contracts or retainers: Agencies often require you to sign a long-term contract or enter into a retainer agreement. Ahrefs found that 78.2% of SEO charges use this structure. Because of this, agencies have less flexibility for businesses with limited budgets or short-term needs.
• More removed from your team: While an agency acts as an extension of your team, they remain a separate entity that is focused on their own success. Many agencies develop collaborative relationships with their clients, but they are often more segmented than a relationship you might build with a freelancer or contractor.

Working with an SEO freelancer

An SEO freelancer is an individual who independently offers SEO services. Most freelancers specialize in one or a few specific areas of SEO, such as technical SEO or backlink building.

Here are common advantages of working with an SEO freelancer

• Cost: Cost is one of the biggest advantages with freelancers. They are often significantly more affordable than agencies. Small businesses or companies with limited marketing budgets often turn to freelancers for this reason. Other businesses start their journey with a freelancer to test the waters of hiring outside help for SEO.
• Flexibility: Instead of requiring a long-term contract or retainer agreement, freelancers typically provide significantly more flexibility. You can often negotiate a project scope, contract length, and pricing models that work with you. Freelancers are often open to more personalized or custom arrangements as well.
• Personal approach: Freelancers who are a good fit for your organization often become a member of your direct team. Instead of the predefined processes and communication models of agencies, freelancers offer more direct communication and are usually open to a more personalized approach. For example, they are typically happy to communicate via your existing Teams or Slack channel and use the processes that already exist in your marketing department.
• Specialization: Many SEO freelancers specialize in a specific area of SEO. If you are looking for a specific project or type of tactic, hiring a freelancer makes it possible for you to hire a professional with significant experience in that area. Because freelancers work with other clients, they can bring a high level of specialization.

Challenges of hiring an SEO freelancer

While there are many positive aspects of working with a freelancer, this route also has some downsides. Typical challenges include:

• Finding the right freelancer: While it’s easy to find a list of SEO agencies in your industry, it can be much harder to find a reputable and experienced freelancer. Many organizations find freelancers by asking for recommendations from other freelancers they work with and colleagues at other companies. Other ways to find freelancers include professional societies, LinkedIn, and Google searches. Look for freelancers who have an established business and are not freelancing between permanent jobs, and look at their client list. Additionally, look for testimonials for freelancers with experience in your industry and project type.
• Limited capacity: Even the best freelancer is only a single person, which means there is a limit to freelancer SEO services as well as the amount of work one person can handle. Because freelancers cannot handle large-scale projects or provide a full range of SEO services, organizations can see gaps in resources. Businesses often hire additional freelancers to fill these gaps, resulting in more freelancer management.
• Lack of access to tools: Because enterprise-level tools and resources serve as the foundation for SEO success, your new SEO resources need access to and expertise on the latest tools. Freelancers often do not have access to the expensive tools required for full SEO management, which can result in organizations needing to either purchase the tools or add a license to their own existing tools. Additionally, this requires trusting an external person with access to sensitive information and data.
• Higher risk of inconsistent SEO service quality: With a freelancer, you are relying on a single person. On the other hand, an agency has multiple levels of checks and reviews to ensure quality. Organizations hiring and working with freelancers will need to manage and review their work more carefully than that of an agency.

Factors to consider when choosing between an agency and freelancer

Many people make the freelance versus agency decision based on their past experience. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all question, and the right answer today may be different than it was last year.

As you begin making this important decision, be sure to consider the following key aspects:

Scope and complexity

While many organizations start with their budget when choosing between an agency and freelancer, the best practice is to start with your SEO needs. First, look at your current business goals and then see how SEO can help make that a reality. Consider an SEO expertise comparison chart when considering your needs compared to the services offered by each.

Budget

When making this decision, you should consider your budget heavily, but do not let the cost of SEO agency vs freelancer be the sole factor. Some organizations choose a freelancer to save money, when their money would be better spent on a smaller scope with an agency. Other businesses hire an expensive agency because they can afford it, even when hiring a freelancer makes more sense due to the nature of the project and would give them more money to invest in other areas with a higher ROI.

The right approach starts with determining the cost effectiveness of your decision. If you choose the wrong resource, your business can lose money in the long run from either not having money to invest in additional projects or hiring someone to redo work from a resource without the right skills and expertise.

Additionally, you need to compare the SEO pricing models of both freelancers and agencies. Agencies tend to offer retainer models which also include project-based work while freelancers typically operate hourly, or project based. By understanding what pricing model works best for your needs, you can then include this as a requirement in your search.

Your desired level of involvement

Some organizations want to hand off their SEO to someone else to manage, with only required involvement. Others want to work in a more collaborative style. An agency handles the project with limited management, but also more limited communication. Hiring a freelancer requires more involvement, but you also have a higher level of communication and control. By understanding your needs and expectations before making a decision, you can make the choice that aligns with your needs and expectations.

Long-term goals

Consider your organization’s future plans and your need to scale SEO. In addition to your SEO goals, think about your business plans. If you are considering adding new products, services, or regions in the future, your SEO needs will also scale. Because a freelancer is an individual, they are typically not able to handle significantly more work without hiring other freelancers. Organizations that have plans in their long-term strategy to scale may want to lean towards an agency, while those that do not may be served well by a freelancer.

Making an informed decision for your business

After understanding the pros and cons of both options, the next step is to begin determining the best choice for your business.

1. Assess your current SEO needs and future goals. Start by getting a clear picture of where you are today and where you want to go in terms of SEO. Make sure these plans align with your overall business goals.
2. Research and compare the expertise, pricing, and track records of various agencies and freelancers. By evaluating specific agencies and freelancers, you can get a better understanding of your available options.
3. Request proposals and case studies to evaluate their approach and potential fit for your business. Because websites often look similar and make similar claims, it’s important to get first-hand information from resources on your short list.
4. Consider a trial project to test the working relationship and results before committing to a long-term partnership. By starting with a small project, you can see if the agency or freelancer is a fit in terms of personality and skills for your needs.

The decision about whether to hire a freelancer or agency is a key decision in your SEO journey. By taking the time to carefully decide which path is the best fit for your needs, your organization can begin with the right resources by your side.